Network-based collaboration tools (NCTs) have been employed to increase collaboration effectiveness among geographically dispersed team members. Netmeeting® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. (www.microsoft.com) and WebEx® by the WebEx Communications, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. (www.webex.com) are examples of such network-based collaboration tools.
While NCTs allow collaborators to conduct a teleconference and share software applications via their computers, certain aspects of current NCT products can be improved. For one, many users find the current NCT products lacking in user-friendliness. For example, it is sometimes impossible to identify during a teleconference who is speaking at any particular time. While some participants may be able to identify the identity of a speaker from the sound of his or her voice, participants who are new to the group may not be able to do so. If a participant is unable to identify the current speaker, the context of what is said is often lost to the listener. The problem is often exacerbated when multiple participants speak simultaneously. In this case, it is often impossible, even for those familiar with the participants, to ascertain who is speaking.
The same issue exists with respect to shared software applications. Some NCTs allow a participant to share multiple software applications and/or documents with other participants. For example, a participant A can share documents M and N (via two separate windows on his computer screen) with a participant B. That same participant A may also share a document X (via another window) with a participant C, and a document Y (via yet another window) with a participant D.
If participant A cannot ascertain whether participant B or participant D is currently speaking, participant A may not know which window among multiple windows present on his display terminal to focus on in order to follow along with the discussion. While participant A can always interrupt to clarify the identity of the speaker, such interruption is often unwelcome, disrupts the flow of the discussion, often to the annoyance of the current speaker and other participants.